Stephen Cherry explores a much misused and misunderstood concept.
The word 'sin' has fallen from grace. Although the language of sin is alive and well in the liturgy of the church, it is often misunderstood and misused by Christians. It is only used in everyday life and public discourse when describing the most perverse faults of others or with a toxic degree of irony. Stephen Cherry invites the reader to take a closer look at what 'sin' is, and how a clearer understanding of the concept can help explain some of the most intractable issues facing individuals, communities and the world today.
Sin: A User's Guide offers a contemporary understanding of sin, avoiding the archaic and the obscure. It shows that a proper understanding of sin, while inevitably uncomfortable, does not lead to condemnation but to liberation. Cherry demonstrates how developing the understanding of sin was key to Jesus' ministry, and argues that it is crucial that the church continues this work in a time when scientific and psychological explanations often leave little room for the theological. Outlining the history of sin and how it has come to be so misunderstood, he then considers key ways in which 'sin' operates in the world today, and explores how modern life might be transformed by access to the vocabulary of sin and a better understanding of its concepts.
